1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for laying of floor panels without adhesive, especially consisting of a wood material such as MDF or HDF, which on their opposite transverse edges and longitudinal edges are provided each with profiling which corresponds to one another, in a space for forming a closed floor surface on a laying plane in which several panels with their transverse edges are joined and locked to one another into a row Ri and with their longitudinal edges into several rows Rn, in which:    a) to form the first row R1:            a1) a first panel is put down in the laying plane and a second panel with its transverse edge is placed against the transverse edge of the first panel and by pivoting the second panel down or lowering it vertically into the laying plane the two panels are joined and locked to one another, and        a2) as many panels are joined and locked to one another in this way until the first row R1 is completed,            b) to form the second row R2,            b1) another first panel with its longitudinal edge is placed against the longitudinal edge of at least one panel which has been put down in the first row R1 and is joined and locked to this at least one panel by pivoting down into the laying plane,        b2) another second panel with its longitudinal edge is placed against the longitudinal edge of at least one panel which has been put down in the first row R1 such that by its being pivoted down into the laying plane the longitudinal edge of the other panel is joined and locked to the longitudinal edge of at least one panel in the first row R1 and its transverse edge is joined and locked to the transverse edge of the first panel in the second row R2,        b3) as many panels are joined and locked to one another in this manner until the second row R2 is completed,            c) to form the third R3 and each succeeding row Ri steps b1) to b3) are repeated until the space has been completely put down,    d) in the joining and locking of the transverse edges at least one locking element of one panel which consists of the core material of the panel and which is integrally joined to them snaps into contact with a locking edge of the other panel, and    e) during locking by pivoting down or lowering into the laying plane a force acts in the vertical direction on the locking element of one panel and is converted at least partially into a force component which acts in the horizontal direction and first of all a yielding movement and afterwards a snapping movement of the locking element directed oppositely are effected.
2. Discussion of Background Information
This method is briefly described for example in DE 102 24 540 A1. To join the panels on the transverse sides the core material is first compressed and a projection which is provided in the tongue as a locking element then snaps behind the undercut which is acting in the groove of the opposite panel as a locking edge. So that the locking forces of two panels which are joined to one another are high enough, the projection or the entire tongue must be very strongly compressed during joining. Moreover, the profiling of the tongues with very close tolerances must ensure that the compression forces do not become too high; this could lead to destruction of the locking projection or the locking edge.
Laying must take place very carefully. If the panel which is to be laid is tilted so that the compression forces become too high at least in areas, there is the danger that destruction of the locking elements will take place only partially and will not be recognized from the outside because the joint of the two panels is closed in itself. After some time and especially as a result of fluctuations of temperature and humidity which lead to swelling and shrinking of the panels, the connection pulls apart; this can also become optically visible due to raised joining edges if only a quite small offset between the two panels occurs.
Based on this problem formulation, the initially described method will be improved such that laying is possible even with little care and destruction of the locking elements which remains unnoticed is largely precluded.